Gerald Legow

Gerald Legow, 96, died peacefully on September 8, 2026 at his home in Boca Raton, FL. Born October 25, 1929, four days before the Great Stock Market Crash of 1929, in Irvington General Hospital, to the late Netty (nee Atkins), a seamstress, and Leo Legow, an IRS agent. Gerry grew up in Newark’s Schuyler Avenue neighborhood with his late brother Don and sister Sara.

After graduating from Weequahic High School, Gerry earned a degree in accounting from Syracuse University in 1950. He became a licensed Certified Public Accountant before he was drafted in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. Private First Class Legow was an ordinance quartermaster that supported a truck logistics unit in combat operations.

After being honorably discharged from the Army, Gerry worked briefly as a CPA preparing tax returns before he co-founded Legow Real Estate Management Company with his mother in Livingston, NJ where he raised his family. Over the next decades, Gerry, Netty, brother Don, brother-in-law Bob and ultimately the next generation of family members, built an extraordinary portfolio of residential apartment buildings across New Jersey that created a comfortable livelihood for the Legow family.

But his greatest treasure was his family. Gerry was married to the love of his life, the late Dr. Ruth Ginsberg Legow, for 66 years. Together they raised daughter Amy, of blessed memory, and twins David (Sarit), and Nancy (Michael). Gerry was a devoted, loving grandfather of Mikhal, Sam, Gabe, Marty, Rachel, and Ethan and the extraordinarily proud great-grandfather of Netta, Lev, and Asher.

Gerry was a generous philanthropic supporter of Oheb Shalom Congregation, the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ, the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County-Boca Raton, the Kessler Foundation, as well as numerous other Jewish community causes.

Gerry enjoyed New York theater and travelling the world with Ruth. Together, they regularly played golf at Crestmont Country Club where Gerry also served as club president. He relished his two career hole-in-one shots!

Gerry and Ruth enjoyed retirement in their second home in Boca Raton, Florida for the past twenty years where they continued their pursuit of golf at Stonebridge Country Club.

As much as family and friends will be saddened by this loss, we are incredibly grateful to have had the privilege of knowing Gerry and we celebrate his extraordinary 96 year run that made our world a better place.

The family will be receiving guests at Bernheim-Apter-Kreitzman Suburban Funeral Chapel, 68 Old Short Hills Rd, Livingston, New Jersey 07039, on September 11, 2026, from 8:15 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. followed by a funeral service that will commence at 9:00 a.m. Burial will follow at Mount Lebanon Cemetery, 189 Gill Ln, Woodbridge Township, NJ 08830.

Donations may be made in his memory to the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ, https://www.jfedgmw.org/